These numbers make it very clear why so many mental health patients are simply not getting the care they need.

Davies is also clear about how this reduction in nurse numbers is disastrous – not just for patients, but for other services as well. She commented:

Early intervention is the most effective way to tackle mental health problems, but at the moment patients often aren’t being treated until they reach breaking point and problems are escalating out of control. The pressures on mental health services are spilling out into social care, A&E and even police custody.

Tory cuts are to blame

The Canary has previously reported on how Tory austerity measures are causing a mental health crisis.

Paying lip service and breaking promises

This is a very worrying downward trend that shows no sign of turning around, despite all the government’s pronouncements and pledges about equality for mental health care compared to physical health care.

Valuing mental health equally with physical health is known as parity of esteem. The Health and Social Care Act 2012 enshrined the concept in law.

The Conservative government promised to make parity of esteem a reality. But Liberal Democrat MP and former Coalition minister Norman Lamb claims the government is breaking this pledge by failing to fund new waiting time targets for mental health treatment.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, on the other hand, has addressed these concerns. He believes patients should receive immediate treatment, and also recognises the psychological impact of austerity.

These figures show how much the Tories really care about mental health. They will pay lip service to the mental suffering of millions in this country, but it seems they won’t take any action to help them. And the action that they do take only makes people’s lives worse.

Our Aims: About Us

To support users and ex-users of psychiatric services in the Manchester area. The organisation provides a forum for services users to have a bona fide say in planning and provision of mental health services.

Protesters in King’s Lynn fight against mental health service cuts

Protesters took to the streets of King’s Lynn to voice their anger at what they described as “continuous” cutbacks to mental health services in west Norfolk.

Mental health cuts protest

A protest march against cuts to mental health services and the Fermoy Unit at the QEH took place in King's Lynn town centre. Picture: Matthew Usher.

More than 100 campaigners marched from The Walks through the town centre before finishing outside the Majestic Cinema.

Peter Smith, former parliamentary candidate for south-west Norfolk said: “We are in the fight of our lives here.”

The protest was triggered by the Fermoy Unit, an in-patient NHS facility in Lynn for mental health, which campaigners say faces an uncertain future. The unit was briefly closed to new admissions earlier this month, but reopened last week, albeit with fewer beds.

Mr Smith said: “In my lifetime we have never had to fight like this, but what is the alternative?”

But Debbie White, director of operations for Norfolk at the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, said there were now no plans to axe the Fermoy Unit.

She added: “It is right that mental health services should be valued and funded on the same level as acute health services, and it is understandable people feel passionate about the Fermoy Unit remaining open.”

Labour party activist Jo Rust insisted the issue would not disappear. She said: “They have been talking about closing it for a long time. We will fight and we will not let them do that.”

Beth Anthony, 18 of Dersingham, said: “We are here to protest against the continuous cuts to the mental health service, we think it’s unacceptable. My younger brother suffers from poor mental health and has to travel to London... That is to the detriment of my family because we have to pay for him to go down by train every single month.”